The collaborating artists display their uncanny musical connection.
When George Xylouris, a Cretan lute player descended from Greek music royalty, and his long time friend Jim White, an Australian drummer famous for his work with Dirty Three and PJ Harvey, first began collaborating, they likened themselves to goats. Their music, Xylouris argues, is “like goats walking in the mountain.” They may not have a concept of where they are as they navigate rocky territory treacherous to ordinary bipeds, but they are remarkably confidant walking up sheer cliff walls. The goat lent its name to Xylouris White’s first record, which they released in 2014. But the peak of the mountain, Black Peak, is the focus of their sophomore release. WNYC has recently shared a great live recording of a track from that record, “Forging.” Seeing the the duo perform together somehow clarifies what is otherwise a hard-to-pin down sound. Between the particular sound of Xylouris’ lauoto, White’s thunderous, melodic drumming and the prog-folk vocal melody, you get a sense of their uncanny, unspoken musical communication—the same powerful glue that ties together these similarly droning, psychedelic live jams of brother duo Tonstartssbandht.
Watch them perform “Forging” below. Black Peak is out now via Bella Union. Xylouris White—clearly not to be missed—will be touring this spring, performing in Queens at Trans-Pecos on April 5.